


Not Dying is Not Where the Bar is

by AdrianaintheSnow



Series: Everything's Fine Universe [2]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Gen, Illness, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Past Child Neglect, Sick Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-15
Updated: 2021-01-15
Packaged: 2021-03-12 18:14:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,263
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28764624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AdrianaintheSnow/pseuds/AdrianaintheSnow
Summary: Virgil hurried into the bathroom and grabbed two bags of cough drops as well as the thermometer, some children’s Tylenol, Benadryl, Afrin nose spray, two boxes of Kleenexes: one with lotion and one with lotion and Vicks, and some cough syrup. Then, he grabbed three extra pillows from the hall closet.Remy looked at him and his armful of things when he came back into the bedroom and twirled his finger around in a circle (his typical substitute for rolling his eyes).“What?” Virgil said. “He’s sick. He could be really sick. He could have pneumonia!”One of Virgil’s kids get sick.The prompt was “I really don't like the sound of that” With Remy, Virgil, and child!Remus from the"Hurt / Comfort Sickfic Drabble Prompts list.")
Relationships: Anxiety | Virgil Sanders & Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders & Sleep | Remy Sanders, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders & Sleep | Remy Sanders, Platonic DLAMPR
Series: Everything's Fine Universe [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1874551
Comments: 20
Kudos: 92





	Not Dying is Not Where the Bar is

**Author's Note:**

> This is part of the Everything’s Fine Universe, but it set far in the future. So it’s kinda spoilers, but not really because obviously all of them are going to end up a family eventually…

“Yes, yes,” Virgil groused. “I will get you your damned food if you stop attempting to trip me.” Diesel Fuel did not seem to care about his argument, continuing to meow loudly and bump up against his legs. Virgil finally gave up and teleported away from her to grab the cat food and back to the bowl to pour it in. “There, you menace. Breakfast.”

No thanks came from the cat. She just dashed over to start gorging herself. Virgil shook his head and wandered into the living room. His eyes landed instantly on Janus who was leaning back in the armchair with his electric heating pad. He stirred when Virgil walked in.

“I hope you didn’t sleep there,” Virgil said.

“Do you think Patton would have let me sleep here?” he mumbled back.

“Still, it’s early,” Virgil said, letting a hand gently touch his forehead to push back his hair. He’d need a haircut or some other solution to keep his bangs out of his face soon. “Want to go back to bed?”

“Remus’s been snoring. So loud.”

“Hmm,” Virgil said. “That sucks. Want something to eat or drink or want me to leave you alone?”

“Leave me be?”

“Gotcha.”

Janus was the only one of the kids up (unless you counted the cat), so Virgil grabbed his chemistry textbook and started working through a few of the problems his professor had assigned him for next week at the kitchen table. About half an hour later, his phone buzzed. Remy had texted him.

‘I’m invading your house for the TV. You can’t complain, because I’m bringing your kids breakfast.’ Virgil rolled his eyes and sent back a thumbs up emoji. He got a sunglasses emoji back.

Virgil finished up the problem he was on and set his work aside to walk into the living room. “Remy’s going to be here soon with food,” he warned Janus, so he wouldn’t wonder why the doorbell would be ringing in a couple minutes and panic. The boy hummed his acknowledgment.

Virgil walked up the front staircase and knocked on one of the bedroom door. “Roman, Logan, Remy’s coming with breakfast. If you want it warm, come downstairs.”

“Kay,” Roman’s tired voice said. “Be down in a minute.”

Virgil turned to the other door and knocked, saying the same thing.

There was a pause. “Not hungry,” Remus said quietly.

“Alright,” Virgil said. “I’ll put yours in the fridge for later.”

There was no response, but Virgil didn’t think anything of it. Sometimes Remus would say no to breakfast when he’d just woke up but would come down a few minutes later anyway when his body woke up a bit more.

He was heading back down the stairs when the doorbell rang. He passed Janus, who was still on the couch but now had Diesel Fuel kneading his thighs.

“You better have brought coffee too,” Virgil said when he opened the door.

“Who do you think I am?” Remy asked, pushing past him.

“Kids!” Virgil called. “Food!”

Two sets of footsteps tromped down the stairs as Roman and Logan came down.

“Do I have to get up, or do we get to eat in the living room?” Janus asked.

“We can eat in here,” Virgil said.

“Yes!” Roman said. He ran to pull two of the giant pillows over to the coffee table for him and Logan to sit on and Remy set the bags of breakfast food he’d brough onto the table.

Breakfast was about what Virgil had come to expect from the meal. Logan had snuck a book under the table and was trying to read it without anyone seeing, Roman had managed to get ketchup from the hash browns all down his front, and Janus was arguing with the cat about whose food Janus had on his plate (and losing). The only thing missing was Remus’s chaotic energy.

Remus didn’t come down the whole time they ate or even after they’d cleaned up and Virgil was washing the dishes in the sink. That was odd. Virgil glanced at the clock. It was definitely past the timeframe Remus usually got up.

“What’s up Wonder Dad?” Remy asked, probably seeing him frown. Janus and Logan were talking on the couch and Roman was humming as he drew, having gotten out the crayons.

“Remus hasn’t come down yet.”

“Kids like to sleep sometimes,” Remy said, unconcerned.

“Yeah…”

“But we’re going to go up to make sure, aren’t we?”

“…Yeah.”

“Alright, let’s go.”

They went up the back set of stairs to the second floor and walked up to Janus and Remus’s door. Before Virgil could knock, however, the sound of pretty intense coughing came from behind the door.

“I really don’t like the sound of that,” Remy said.

Virgil barely resisted the urge to kick down the door. Or, better yet, just teleport in there. Instead, he knocked on the door. “Remus, can we come in?” he asked.

The coughing stopped so Remus could say, “Yeah,” quietly.

Virgil pushed open the door. The lights were off in the room, but he could still make out a lump in the bed. “Are you alright?” Virgil asked, crossing over to him and sitting on the bed. Remy flicked on the lights behind him.

“‘M fine,” Remus said. He did not sound fine. He sounded miserable. Virgil carefully peeled the blankets away from his red face and set a hand on his forehead.

“You have a fever,” Virgil said.

“Yeah,” Remus agreed. “I’m sick.”

“Then why did you say you’re fine?”

“I am fine,” Remus claimed.

“No, you’re not,” Virgil said.

Remus shook of Virgil’s hand and pulled the blankets back over his head. “I’m not going to die,” Remus mumbled.

“That is not where the bar is!” Virgil exclaimed, peeling back the blankets again from his lax fingers. He groaned in displeasure. “Remy, come take a look at him. When did you start feeling bad? When’s the last time you ate? Does your stomach hurt? Are you congested?”

“I’m fine,” Remus said again, but then coughed hard, undermining his words.

“Oh, buddy,” Remy said sympathetically. “That’s quite the cough. Let’s get you sitting up.” He helped Remus into a sitting position. “Virgil could you maybe get him another pillow from somewhere?”

“Yeah, there should be some in the hall.”

“Maybe get some cough drops too while you’re at it.”

“Okay.” Virgil hurried into the bathroom and grabbed two bags of cough drops as well as the thermometer, some children’s Tylenol, Benadryl, Afrin nose spray, two boxes of Kleenexes: one with lotion and one with lotion and Vicks, and some cough syrup. Then, he grabbed three extra pillows from the hall closet.

Remy looked at him and his armful of things when he came back into the bedroom and twirled his finger around in a circle (his typical substitute for rolling his eyes).

“What?” Virgil said. “He’s sick. He could be really sick. He could have pneumonia!” “I don’t have pneumonia,” Remus said.

“He doesn’t have pneumonia,” Remy said at the same time.

“How do you know?” Virgil stressed. Remy looked at Remus and Remus giggled at his expression. Virgil folded his arms in front of him. “What’s so funny?”

Remy shook his head. “Remus, how do doctors diagnose people with pneumonia?”

“They take X-rays of their chest.”

“That’s right!” Remy replied. He slipped his sunglasses down and glanced at Remus’s chest. “Look, no pneumonia!”

“You’re a jerk,” Virgil said.

“Yes, yes, make yourself useful and go make the kid some tea with honey.”

“Don’t need it,” Remus claimed.

“Don’t care,” Virgil responded. “Anything else? I should make you soup. Would you eat soup? Or baby crackers. My mom always gave me baby crackers when I was sick. Toast?”

“He doesn’t have a stomachache,” Remy said. “Why don’t you just heat him up the sausage biscuit I got him for breakfast and maybe bring an orange?”

“Sure, sure, and also orange juice,” Virgil said.

“You’re already making tea,” Remy reminded.

“I’ll bring both, and water. People are supposed to drink water when they’re sick.”

“Orange juice and tea are plenty for hydration for now,” Remy said.

Virgil ignored him and teleported downstairs. He grabbed the phone that he’d left next to the sink and shot a text to Patton. ‘Remus is sick,’ he wrote. ‘Bring back carrots, celery, chicken broth, and whatever else goes in soup. I’m making soup.’

He then quickly went to the tea kettle to start making tea before moving to get the rest of the promised food and drinks. Also, he grabbed ice chips. Sometimes people let ice chips melt in their mouths when they were sick, right?

Virgil’s phone beeped as the sandwich warmed up in the microwave.

‘Remy already texted me that he’s fine,’ Patton had written back. ‘You can’t cook.’

‘He needs soup,’ Virgil texted back immediately.

‘There is some canned in the pantry.’

Virgil frowned at the phone. ‘Homemade soup.’

‘Honey, he just has a cold. Calm down.’

‘He could have pneumonia.’

‘Remy says he doesn’t have pneumonia.’

‘It could turn into it.’

‘Not with you around, I’m sure.’

Virgil sighed and stuck his phone into his pocket so he could load up the tray of food and drinks.

“What are you doing?” Janus asked when Virgil stepped into the room.

“Remus is sick. Janus, you can sleep in my bed tonight. I don’t want you to get it.”

“Um…” Janus said.

“He’s going to get overprotective when any of us is sick,” Roman proclaimed cheerfully kicking his feet. “It’s fun!”

“Everyone eat an orange,” Virgil ordered as he walked to the staircase and went up.

“Virgil, I said he didn’t need baby crackers or toast,” Remy said with a sigh when Virgil walked in. Remus was now propped up with one extra pillow and the other two were set aside.

“What’s his temperature?” Virgil asked, setting down the tray of food onto Janus’s desk.

“100.7” Remy said. He held up a hand before Virgil could speak. “I already gave him some Tylenol.”

“Good,” Virgil said. “That’s good. We should get him a cold rag for his forehead.”

“He’s probably fine,” Remy said, “but I don’t think I’ll talk you out of it. Let the poor thing eat first, though. I’m going to go grab something.”

Virgil nodded. He took most of the food and drink off the tray and set it on the desk but left the tea and sandwich on it. He brought the tray over and put it in his lap before taking a seat on Janus’s side of their conjoined twin beds.

“Thanks,” Remus said. “You don’t have to.”

Virgil frowned and leaned forward to kiss his forehead. He was still warm, which was to be expected, but it didn’t calm Virgil at all. “Of course, I have to,” Virgil said. “Drink your tea. It’ll help your throat.” Remus rolled his eyes. “Hey, I saw that!” But the little bit of cheek did make him feel better. Remus did take a sip of tea despite his resistance.

“Oh,” he said. “That does make it a bit better.”

“Good,” Virgil said. “I can get you more any time you like. Or if you’re not thirsty, the cough drops should help. I personally prefer the blue ones, but I got the red ones too.”

Remus shifted a bit and looked at his lap. “You really don’t need to hover.”

“You have zero choice in this,” Virgil said. He kissed the boy’s forehead again.

Remus sighed, but shifted to snuggle into him a bit. Virgil took his tea and held it for him so he could pick up his sandwich.

“Alright,” Remy said, stepping back inside. “I brought you something that will make being sick a lot more tolerable.” He set a tablet next to Remus’s legs. “I’ve got Netflix and Disney+ on this bad boy. So, have at it.”

Remus’s eyes lit up. “I wanna watch _Scream_!”

“Absolutely not,” Virgil said.

“I put the child lock on it,” Remy said.

“Lame,” Remus pouted.

Virgil chuckled and kissed his head before grabbing the tablet. “We’re watching _The Lion King_.”

“We?” Remus asked. “You’re staying?”

“Of course,” Virgil said, “and if you need anything, just tell me. I mean it.”

Remus didn’t seem to know what to say, setting his sandwich down to hug him. The poor thing must really not be feeling well because Virgil could feel tears soak his shirt. Virgil set down the tablet to wrap the arm not holding the tea around him and hug him softly.

Remus’s crying was interrupted by coughing and Virgil drew back to pat him gently on the back. Remy offered Virgil a box of tissues and Virgil took one so he could gently clean the tears and snot off his face.

“Here,” Virgil said once he managed to stop coughing. He handed him back the mug. “Drink some more tea, there you go.”

“We’ll have you right as rain soon,” Remy promised. “Even if Super Dad makes me X-ray your chest 50 times an hour.”

Remus laughed and handed back the mug. “Can I get radiation poisoning that way?”

“Nah, not with me doing it.”

“Lame,” Remus mumbled. “I wanted to glow in the dark.”

“We’ll get you glow in the dark body paint when you’re well,” Remy said.

“I don’t know about that…” Virgil said.

Remus pouted at him.

“Fine… but you can only use it outside.”

“Okay,” Remus said with a smile.

…Virgil was going to be cleaning glow in the dark paint out of the carpet, wasn’t he?


End file.
